01.09.2017 ►JAINA ►Special Newsletter: Das Lakshana Day 7 @ HereNow4U

Federation Of Jain Associations in North America

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Jai Jinendra!

This year, due to repeating Tithi we have 11 days of Das Lakshana. So today we will talk more about Uttam Sanyam.

Warm Regards,
Gunvant Shah
JAINA President
09-01-2017

MAHAVIR TEMPLE - MAHAVIRJI, RAJASTHAN INDIA

QUOTE
My soul characterized by knowledge and faith is alone eternal. All other phases of my existence to which I am attached are external occurrences that are transitory.
- Bhagwan Mahavir

UTTAM SANYAM
'Self-restraint is the key to eternal happiness'

The word 'Sanyam' is derived from the root 'yam' with preposition 'sam' by the addition of suffix 'ap'.

Until and unless a living being practices self-restraint in life, he indulges in passions and senses. The very day he attains the bounds of self-restraint, he begins to shun the sensuous pleasures. Self-restraint originates by taking a very sensible view of things in a systematized form based on the power of discrimination. When the living being begins to comprehend the fundamental distinction between right and wrong, just and unjust, even the pleasure-giving, charming objects begin to appear to him as deadly poison.

There was a king. He was absorbed in sensuous pleasures day in and day out. The king owned a vast and beautiful orchard cum flower garden, in which multicolored flowers and fruits of the supreme variety grew and bloomed forever. The king was so lusty and led such a luxurious life that in order to satisfy his whimsical demands numerous flowers of different varieties were brought daily to make a flowerbed for him. The king deemed himself very happy and delighted by sleeping in this bed.

One evening, the royal gardener's wife brought flowers to adorn the king's bed. As soon as she had spread the bed with fragrant flowers, she began to think, 'how lovely the flowerbed looks! God knows what bliss the king experiences by sleeping on it.' While pondering thus in her mind, she decided to sleep only for five minutes in the charming flower bed to feel the pleasure of it. She knew that the king was not likely to come into the palace any time soon. Thinking this she lay down in the bed. She was dead tired from the whole day's work. As soon as she lay in bed, she fell in sound sleep. At nightfall the king came into his royal bedroom and found the gardener's wife sound slept in his flowerbed, his eyes became bloodshot with rage. The king instantly pulled her from the bed catching hold of her ponytail, hurled her violently on the ground and beat her black and blue with a stick. But there was no sign of pain and sorrow on her face; rather she began to laugh loudly. When the king ordered her to make clear the reason of her laughing, the lady gardener replied, "Your majesty! I am laughing at the idea that when I had to bear so many hunter strokes simply for sleeping in this flowerbed only for five minutes, what will be your fate,
who sleeps in this flowerbed every night?
Why not you discard all these transitory worldly enjoyments and observe self-restraint in life?"

Upon hearing these eye opening words from the gardener's wife, the king thought in his mind what a great lesson this poor woman had taught him. Therefore, soon after this incident the king renounced all royal grandeur and got initiated to monkshood.

A man should not wait for an appropriate time to observe self-restraint. He should not think that he would practice self-restraint at a later stage of life; because death keeps no calendar.

JAIN CENTER NEWS - SOUTH CALIFORNIA

Jain Center of So. California in Buena Park with over 1,500 aspirants celebrated DashahnikaMahotsav with 8 unforgettable days of the Paryushan festival with immense zeal and enthusiasm from Aug 18-25 and then two days of Udyapan - Ujamanu on Aug 26 & 27.

The festivities began every morning with a glorious Snatra Puja. Each day, aspirants gathered eagerly to listen to the inspirational, motivational, heart touching and spiritually enriching divine discourses by Shri Girishbhai Shah. Every night ended with devotional Bhavna Bhakti,Aartiand MangalDivo.Over 2000 attended major events of MahavirJanmaVanchan on Saturday, when SwapnaDarshan& Cradle celebration were done. Everyday ekasana was arranged. Over 175 Jain students from various Universities were assisted with Tiffin services daily so that they can have Jain food during Paryushan. Some students were happy to have Samayak/Pratikraman kits. The 8-day celebration culminated in Samvatsari - an occasion of intense practice of atonement and forgiveness leading to immense internal purification. On this auspicious day, people seek forgiveness from everyone they may have hurt knowingly or unknowingly by thoughts, words or actions, by saying “MichhamiDukkadam.”

Over 50 community members did fast, having just boiled water from 9am till 7pm, for 8 days and over including one member Bhavin Modi fasted for 30 days. JCSC celebrated their Parna(breaking of fast) on 26th morning with devotional songs and music by JayendrabhaiNayak from India. On the same day VidhikarJayeshbhai Jain from India, performed 18 Abhishek on the private idols. On 27th they had arranged for a Grand Procession for the celebration and almost 1000 members attended with lots of enthusiasm and devotion. In the afternoon, for the first time in Los Angeles, AshtapadPujan was performed.